Tips on training baby to sleep flat in crib??

millermichaela · April 2012

My daughter is 8 weeks old and suffers from reflux. Our ped suggested that she sleep on an incline (in her swing, car seat or bouncer) until the reflux subsided. She is feeling much better now thanks to Zantac so we are trying to transition her into her crib but she wakes up as soon as I lay her down flat!! Even though I swaddle her, she has never slept anywhere where she wasn't "snuggled in" and she wakes up as soon as she gets in the crib. Is this happening to anyone else? Any tips on transitioning and/or a safe way to make her crib more "snuggly" like her bouncer or swing? FYI, when she sleeps in the swing I don't turn it on so it isnt the movement she is missing. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

88eve88 · April 2012

I don't have any experience with this, but from reading other posts similar to this topic, I think some people put the crib on an incline. They somehow prop up one end of the crib (with books?) to achieve this. Over several weeks, you can slowly lower the incline until the crib is completely flat. Perhaps that would work.

jenskurn · April 2012

Is it definitely the flatness or do you think it can have something to do with being in the room alone? The only reason why I ask is my LO sleeps fine at night flat in the PnP, but won't nap in there bc I am not in the room. The same goes for the crib. I don't know how she know I am in the room, but she does.

britglenn9 · April 2012

we stuck a book under the mattress, lol. the dr thought LO might be having some early on reflux. i dont know if this would help transition your LO but its worth a try. i know what you mean though- in the swing my LO's legs are not stretched out flat, theyre kinda 'snuggled up' more, and even inclining the mattress wouldnt give this same effect for the legs. if you rolled up a thin blanket or used something harder and propped it under LO's legs (like in the knee area?) that might help, but i dont know if you feel comfortable putting a blanket in there or not, depends on how much LO moves.

CJPowers · April 2012

For me I thought that it was the flat mattress, but then I realized it was the cold. Going from being held or snuggled in to laying on a cold mattress woke her up. I lay a heating pad on the mattress while I hold her and rock her (she is swaddled) then I lay her down on the warm mattress regardless of whether or not she is awake or asleep. I would say 75% of the time this works and she falls asleep.. If she crys I let her. If she is still crying after 10 minutes I pick her up, try to see if she needs to burp, hold her and kiss her and put her down again on the warm mattress. Usually she will fuss a little more but then fall asleep. Once a week I might have a night where she just won't stop crying, then I just let her sleep in the new born mapper in the pack and play or in the swing.

6sour6grapes6 · April 2012

swaddle and while she's sleeping during the day, pick her up and put her on a flat surface. she might wake up sooner than normal, but that's what I've been doing to get her used to it. she does sleep for a bit before she realizes she's not being "cradled" by something.

Topi-Jan · April 2012

jenskurnick:
Is it definitely the flatness or do you think it can have something to do with being in the room alone? The only reason why I ask is my LO sleeps fine at night flat in the PnP, but won't nap in there bc I am not in the room. The same goes for the crib. I don't know how she know I am in the room, but she does.

If this is the issue, try leaving a the shirt you wore that day or something with your scent on it close to the crib. With DS1 that really helped us with sleeping at night in his own room.

If it's the flatness factor, I'd go with what PPs said about inclining the mattress. We used towels under the mattress at our house (and still do this when the kids are congested).

If it's the snuggle factor, have you thought about sleeping on her side? You can prop her up with a rolled up blanket behind her. That way she'll have one side up against the mattress and the blanket on her back creating a snuggle factor as well. I know people have different opinions on this, though. If you do this alternate what side you put her on each night to avoid flat head issues.

If it's a matter of her immediately waking up when you put her down, you might want to try re-creating the feeling of being asleep on your chest or shoulder when you first put her down in the crib. Put your hand on top of her or around her so she feels a little bit of pressure and it feels like she's still on you. When she relaxes slowly take your hand off and swaddle her quickly (and depending on how she takes that put your hand on top of her to relax her after swaddling as well).

Hopefully she'll get used to a flat crib soon! Good luck!

Tips on training baby to sleep flat in crib??

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